Advice Please - Should I refurb Hutch Pro Stem

[Patchcavin]

Hi Guys,

I am after some advice. I am having a clear out of some old BMX stuff to pay for my DAS Motorbike training and test. I just love this website, brings back many memories as I used to be out all day on my BMX down at the Malvern BMX Track.

I have an old Hutch Pro Stem that I ran for years on my BMX. After a couple of years some of the chrome was flaking off so I gave it a very eighties paint effect (I can here you all screaming at me). OK my question is should I totally refurb it by stripping off paint and getting it rechromed.....or just get paint off and see what is underneath. I cant remember if I took all the chrome off before repainting (it was prob 30 years ago...jeez I feel old).

Any feedback would be welcome.

Regards
Patch

 

[scooter]

I would strip off the paint to see what its like underneath first

Then maybe get it re-chromed or maybe polish it up.

Can you get any pictures up.

 

[Patchcavin]

Hi Scooter,

Thanks for your comments. As a newbie I have attempted to get some pictures up, see below. Let me know if this does not work.

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-UkSe ... Hutch3.jpg
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-lIif ... Hutch2.jpg
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-CgEq ... Hutch1.jpg

Regards
Cavin

 

[scooter]

Here you go -



Nice wacky paint job by the way
Ok , so if you strip it you can find out if its been de-chromed? I would imagine it has not because this needs to be done at a chromers and it needs to be done by reversing the chroming process, so its probably unlikely you would of done this 30 odd years ago?
So you have lots of options for this-
1- strip it , if it still has flaking chrome then have it stripped and re-chromed again
2- strip it , if it still has flaking chrome, have stripped and then give it a high polish
3- strip it , if the chrome has been removed then happy days, polish, chrome, anodise, or paint it.
So yeah give it some Nitromorse treatment and see how it is underneath and go from there.
Theres lots of nice re-chromed , polished or re-furbed ones on google images.
Just type in Hutch deep H stems
Also if you're not already registered, try radbmx - http://www.radbmx.co.uk/
And bmx museum - http://bmxmuseum.com/
You'll find lots of restoration info on these and plenty of people that can give you advise on restoration, chromers etc.
Good luck with it bud, would be nice to see the end result.

 

[BENDYCAT ELEVENTEEN]

Gotta say I love it as it is !

But worth more cleaned up I guess if your going that route

 

[Patchcavin]

Thanks for the advice....and for putting the pics up properly Scooter. Have got some paint stripper now so will post pics later this week of what lies beneath.....

 

[Patchcavin]

Ok, have now stripped paint off Stem with Polycell Paint stripper (impressive stripper).

The chrome is in pretty poor shape so will need stripping off, but overall there are no big scrapes or gouges to the stem. I guess I should have it rechromed same as the original was. I was looking at some rechromed stems on google and they look like the coating is too thick and look a little false. I will do a bit more research to make sure I get original style finish.

Regards
Patch

Pics below, sorry I do not know how to paste directly into thread.
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-WeI0 ... +off+1.jpg


https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-waxS ... +off+2.jpg

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-tlzr ... +off+4.jpg

 

[GITANE80]

 

[DM]

Re:

I would do the bare minimum to restore that, and be very cautious in whatever you do, and whoever you hand it over to.

Go easy with the polishing, as you can easily soften / round-off those edges and chamfers.
Ideally, I would re-polish it on a belt sander, so that you can hold the piece flat to the belt. That way, you keep all the faces flat individually, in-plane with each other, and avoid rounding over those edges.

If you don't know how much they go for, then educate yourself before you do anything to it. And before you let any local "professionals" near it (especially as chemical stripping of the chrome could seriously wreck it in the hands of muppets more used to industrial jobs than to restoration work). Knowing its current value should give you the motivation to do it right.

Good luck. Still the nicest stems / cranks / pedals / seat clams, etc. ever, IMO.

 

[BENDYCAT ELEVENTEEN]

Re:

Great sound advice from above there - over polished and it can look crap - take time to remove the old chrome if sanding (rtead up on the bet way and which paper to use)
if taking it to a company - use word of mouth from other bike guys, as if a place mucks up or can't get it right, you will soon be warned off them and to the right person

good luck and keep the pic's coming

cheers B